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A man found a cocoon of a butterfly, and he brought it home. One day, a small opening appeared in the cocoon.
The man sat and watched the cocoon for several hours as the butterfly struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making progress. It appeared as if the butterfly had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no farther.
The man decided to help the butterfly in its struggle. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the co coon…
and the butterfly emerged easily.
As the butterfly emerged, the man was surprised. It had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, enlarge, and expand to support the swollen body. He knew that in time the body would contract, and the butterfly would be able to fly…
but neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spends the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle were required for the butterfly to be able to fly.
The butterfly must push its way through the tiny opening to force the fluid from its body and wings. Only by struggling through the opening can the butterfly’s wings be ready for flight once it emerges from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If our Higher Power allowed us to go through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been…
and we could never fly!

Spread your wings and prepare to fly,
For you have become a butterfly…
Fly abandonedly into the sun!

As she stood
in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of
school, she
told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she
looked at
her students and said that she loved them all the same. However,
that
was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was
a
little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had
watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did
not play well with
the other children, that his clothes were messy and
that he
constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It
got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight
in
marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and
then putting a big
"F" at the top of his papers.

At
the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However,
when
she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child
with a
ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good
manners… he is a joy to
be around."
His second
grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well
liked
by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal
illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade
teacher wrote, "His mother’s death has been hard on
him. He
tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest,
and
his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken."

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and
doesn’t
show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many
friends and he sometimes
sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs.
Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of
herself She
felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents,
wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His
present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got
from
a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of
the
other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found
a
rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle
that
was one-quarter full of perfume . But she stifled the
children’s laughter
when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet
was, putting it on, and dabbing some
of  the perfume on he r
wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day
just long enough to
say, "Mr! s. Thompson, today you smelled just like
my  Mom used
to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On
that very
day, she quit teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic. Instead, she began
to teach children. Mrs. Thompson
paid particular attention to Teddy. As
she worked with him, his
mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged
him, the faster he
responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become
one of the
smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she
would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her
"teacher’s
pets."

A year later, she found a note under
her door, from Teddy, telling her
that she was the best teacher he ever
had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another
note from Teddy. He then wrote
that he had finished high school, third
in his class, and she was still
the best teacher he ever had in
life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying
that while things
had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had
stuck with it, and
would soon graduate from college with the
highest of honors. He assured Mrs.
Thompson that she was still the best
and favorite teacher he had ever
had in his whole
life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came.
This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he
decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she was still
the best and
favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little
longer….
The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another
letter
that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was
going to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of
years ago and he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at
the wedding in the
place that was usually reserved for the
mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs.
Thompson did. And guess what? She
wore that bracelet, the one with
several rhinestones missing.
Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the
perfume that Teddy
remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas
together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in
Mrs. Thompson’s
ear, "Thank you Mrs Thompson for believing in
me. Thank you so much for
making me feel important and showing
me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in
her eyes, whispered back. She said,
"Teddy, you have it all
wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could
make a
difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you."

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me." After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" … and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don’t need anything special from my tree so I’ll take this one", and he cut it down. When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat. Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it. The moral of this story is that when things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He’s very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant’s confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant’s 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I’ll be alone. How lonely I’ll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant’s heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I’m going to remarry when you die!" The merchant’s heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you’ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die.

b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

I have often wondered why we still have so many old fashioned face clocks and watches being made these days. Digital clocks are both more accurate and easier to read. They can instantly give you the time to the exact second and you don’t have to estimate by glancing at the three moving hands on a face clock. Still, in the stores the face clocks far outnumber their digital counterparts. People also spend more to have their old fashioned clocks and watches repaired than they would to buy a new one. They even seek out old mantle clocks, grandfather clocks, and pocket watches at antique shops.

     Perhaps it is because these old style time pieces give all of us a better sense of what time is. It is reassuring for me to look up at my old face clock on the wall and see the second hand gently ticking away. It reminds me that each and every second of this life is a precious choice and that I should do my best to live them all in love, joy, and oneness with God. I even have a clock that is broken that I keep on my kitchen wall. It gives me the right time exactly twice each day. It also reminds me, however, that I don’t have forever in this life and that I should share that love, joy, and oneness with God with everyone everywhere every second that I can. There is one other time piece that I would like to have too: an old windup alarm clock. It would be a wonderful reminder that all the time that I have in this life is in my own hands. It would also always let me know that one day the alarm will sound, and I will awaken from this life and move on to the greater life that awaits us all.

     Before your own alarm sounds then make sure that you truly live every minute of your life. Before your own clock stops make sure that you choose and share love, joy, and oneness with God every second that you can. Your time is in your hands. Make the most of it.

Sometimes we feel so all alone,
Everyone is so busy these days,
Growing older slows us down,
And we have to change our ways.

But when we think about other times,
Our memories bring on a smile,
We wonder where all the time went,
As we trudged that weary mile.

And then we remember Grandma,
With gray hair and old fashioned dress,
As she danced with my daddy,
At the Old Time Summer Fest.

And when I hear the sweet laughter,
When we played our childish games,
And Mama cooking our supper,
That gave her instant fame.

Oh, that good old summer time,
When we picked  wild berries for Jam,
And Papa built the fire,
That smoked the bacon and the ham.

As these old memories flood back,
I become quite misty eye’d.
Those good old days are gone forever,
Occasionally I have cried.

We all knew about God and His Son,
Going to Church was a pleasure,
I am so thankful for those great days,
When love was a family treasure.

God plants a precious rose,
In the garden of our hearts,
And brings back sweet memories,
That will never again depart.

And as we get on with living,
Each day is written within,
Making more and more sweet memories,
For a joyous future grin.

Hey guys, kindly read this! this story is very nice, you can learn lot of things and insights about one boy who is sick and wishes for something before his time comes. if you would analize this, you would tell to yourself that you are so much blessed for believing in him. For what ever we do or even it is unexpected he is always on our side…Enjoy reading this article and have a nice day!

Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is.
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared
down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of
Terminal Leukemia. Although her heart was filled
with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of
determination. Like any parent, she wanted her
son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now
that was no longer possible..
The leukemia would see to that. But she still
wanted her son’s dreams to come true. She took
her son’s hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever
think about what you wanted to be once you grew
Up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do
with your life?"
Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."
Mom smiled back and said, "Let’s see if we can
make your wish come true."
Later that day she went to her local fire
Department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met
Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix.
She explained her son’s final wish and asked if
It might be possible to give her six-year-old son
A ride around the block on a fire engine.
Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than
That. If you’ll have your son ready at seven
O’clock Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an
Honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come
Down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on
All the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if
You’ll give us his sizes, we’ll get a real fire
Uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy
One-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire
Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear
And rubber boots. They’re all manufactured right
Here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy,
Dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him
>From his hospital bed to the waiting hook and
Ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the
Truck and help steer it back to the fire station.
He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in
Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all
Three calls. He rode in the different fire
Engines, the paramedic’s van, and even the fire chief’s car.
He was also videotaped for the local news
Program. Having his dream come true, with all the
Love and attention that was lavished upon him, so
Deeply touched Billy that he lived three months
Longer than any doctor thought possible.
One night all of his vital signs began to drop
dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in
the hospice concept that no one should die alone,
began to call the family members to the hospital.
Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as
a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked
if it would be possible to send a fireman in
uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he
Made his transition. The chief replied, "We can
do better than that. We’ll be there in five
minutes. Will you please do me a favor?
When you hear the sirens screaming and see the
lights flashing, will you announce over the PA
System that there is not a fire? It’s just the
Fire department coming to see one of its finest
members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?
About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck
arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder
up to Billy’s third floor open window
16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into
Billy’s room. With his mother’s permission, they
hugged him and held him and told him how much
they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy
looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am
I really a fireman now?" "Billy, you are, and the
Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the
Chief said.
With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know,
He’s been holding my hand all day, and the angels
have been singing.." He closed his eyes one last time.

Hi guys! I just want to share this article of mine which i posted in our E-magazine October issue. All of this things won’t be possible without you guys. Thank you very much!

“There are always two sides of the coin, learn to leave and let go.” These are the words that serve as my guiding principle in life.

I come from the city called Calamba  in the

province

of

Laguna

. This can be found in the  southern part of the

Philippines

. Leaving home and my family to relocate to

Dubai

was a tough decision I had to make four months ago (May 2006). It was painful to think that I wont be with my parents, siblings and long time friends for a long time. I remind myself that I am leaving them, for now, so that I can provide a better future for them. My aim is to give them a better life. This is what I mean about the two sides of a coin.

At age 22, considered as the youngest member of the GAPCorp team, I sure faced a lot of challenges. Just like any “new kid on the block,” I had to adjust to the new culture, new surroundings, new people, different nationalities, new boss, new work environment Everything was new. Everything was different from what I was used to compare dto the

Philippines

. Everyday, despite the hardship- I was learning something new.

My life in

Dubai

in the past 5 months has been rich with experience & lessons. I view things differently now. I have gained some new knowledge and am still excited to learn more about everything. Its been an exciting journey for me. I feel that because of my experiences in

Dubai

, I have become a stronger, better, more mature person.

Working for GAP also exposed me to many things. Focus, trust and resilience are just some  of the many things that I have learnt from my colleagues.

Dubai

is truly an interesting city. People from all walks of life from all over the world make this place unique. It is a country abounding with stories. It is a country abounding with great opportunities, only if you stay focused. Know what you want & set your goals. Then focus your attention on your goals. Be ever conscious that you stay on the right track. 

My life will not be meaningful if not for the many significant people in my life. I am thankful for friends who are around to cheer me up, for my family who has been a constant source of support, for my colleagues who give me many opportunities to grow and develop professionally. For GAP Concierge team, for believing in me. Best of all, I thank God, who has made everything possible.

Stop telling God how big your storm is.

Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is.

In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared

down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of

Terminal Leukemia. Although her heart was filled

with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of

determination. Like any parent, she wanted her

son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now

that was no longer possible..

The leukemia would see to that. But she still

wanted her son’s dreams to come true. She took

her son’s hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever

think about what you wanted to be once you grew

Up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do

with your life?"

Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

Mom smiled back and said, "Let’s see if we can

make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire

Department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met

Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix.

She explained her son’s final wish and asked if

It might be possible to give her six-year-old son

A ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than

That. If you’ll have your son ready at seven

O’clock Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an

Honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come

Down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on

All the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if

You’ll give us his sizes, we’ll get a real fire

Uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy

One-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire

Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear

And rubber boots. They’re all manufactured right

Here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy,

Dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him

>From his hospital bed to the waiting hook and

Ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the

Truck and help steer it back to the fire station.

He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in

Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all

Three calls. He rode in the different fire

Engines, the paramedic’s van, and even the fire chief’s car.

He was also videotaped for the local news

Program. Having his dream come true, with all the

Love and attention that was lavished upon him, so

Deeply touched Billy that he lived three months

Longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop

dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in

the hospice concept that no one should die alone,

began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as

a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked

if it would be possible to send a fireman in

uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he

Made his transition. The chief replied, "We can

do better than that. We’ll be there in five

minutes. Will you please do me a favor?

When you hear the sirens screaming and see the

lights flashing, will you announce over the PA

System that there is not a fire? It’s just the

Fire department coming to see one of its finest

members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck

arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder

up to Billy’s third floor open window

16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into

Billy’s room. With his mother’s permission, they

hugged him and held him and told him how much

they loved him. With his dying breath, Billy

looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am

I really a fireman now?" "Billy, you are, and the

Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the

Chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know,

He’s been holding my hand all day, and the angels

have been singing.." He closed his eyes one last time.